Railroad tracks include parallel steel rails, each of which is formed by a series of rail sections. FIG. 1 illustrates the adjacent portions of two such rail sections 2. Each section 2 comprises a lower flange 4 and an upper flange or railhead 6 connected by a vertical web 8. The two sections 2 are secured together by two connector plates 12 positioned on opposite sides of the web 8. Each plate 12 has a plurality of fastener holes 14 that are aligned with fastener holes 10 in the webs 8. The aligned holes 10, 14 receive removable fasteners 16 to secure the sections 2 together. The repair and maintenance of the rails often require on-site cold expansion of the fastener holes 10 in the rail section webs 8 to prevent the formation or growth of cracks in the webs 8. The on-site cold expansion can be difficult because of the generally dirty conditions and the greatly varied environment surrounding the rail sections, and the need to carry out the cold expansion quickly and efficiently to avoid interruption of traffic along the tracks. The present invention addresses the problems associated with on-site cold expansion of fastener holes in rail sections.